Carrara marble tiles surround a new whirlpool tub in this luxurious La Jolla master bathroom. A window replaced a sliding door to make room for the tub but keep the views of the water.

Come be inspired next Saturday when 12 bath and kitchen projects are featured in the annual tour by the local chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The projects showcase trends in appliances, cabinetry, countertops, fixtures, color and clever storage solutions.

Here’s a look at two of the projects on the tour, both designed by local NKBA professionals. Laurie Stevens created a fun, highly functional kitchen and family gathering space, while Doreen Owens designed a relaxing haven for two busy professionals.

w Cardiff family kitchen

A stunning view of the Cardiff reef provided inspiration in planning a kitchen remodel for this beach area home. The homeowners, parents of 5- and 7-year-old daughters, felt it was time to update their 1990s kitchen and combine it with a family room to create a fun, central gathering space. They called on designer Laurie Stevens of Laurie Stevens Design to design it for them.

The clients wanted their kitchen to include some custom features, including a lowered counter on which the girls could roll pastry dough and learn to cook, according to Stevens. High-quality appliances, including a Dacor range and Sub-Zero refrigerator, would handle their everyday needs, as well as the demands of entertaining large family groups.

Stevens, a Carlsbad-based designer, gave them a seating nook with space for six; it’s now a place for family meals, homework or extra room for friends to hang out.

A major planning priority was that the children and their newly adopted dog could easily access the yard while remaining in view from the kitchen. New French doors opened the area and directed traffic flow away from the cooking zone. Rolling doors easily open the family room to the kitchen.

The homeowner told her designer: “I wanted a kitchen that would make me happy to be in — colorful and quirky, like the things we collect!” With an art and architecture background that included work for Sony, Universal Studios and Disney, Stevens was a perfect match for this remodel.

Using reef, ocean, sunrise and sunset colors, she designed a backsplash in local Oceanside Glass Muse Twilight mosaic tile that plays against recycled IceStone glass and concrete countertops in Moroccan Red and Sage Pearl. A third food prep counter in African mahogany contributes additional interest.

The clients have told Stevens that the finished project feels like a home at the beach that is “uniquely ours,” and just what the family was hoping for.

w La Jolla spa bath

For a home located in La Jolla’s Country Club area above the Pacific Ocean, these clients envisioned a luxurious new master suite with an elegant penthouse feel and water views. The wish list included a multifunctional shower, jetted whirlpool tub, double vanity and ample storage, plus a separate compartment for a Neorest 600 combination Washlet-toilet.

Doreen Owens, an NKBA-certified kitchen and bath designer, had worked for the couple before. The doctor and nurse homeowners had called on Owens’ San Diego-based DSO Designs several years earlier for their kitchen remodel, and they decided it was time for their next project.